Sister Mary Ann Burke
Formerly Sister Mary Brigid
August 11, 1942 – October 4, 2024
Professed January 3, 1963
Mary Ann was the second of five children born to Stephen and Anna Mae (Connors) Burke on August 11, 1942, in Cleveland, Ohio. “I became the chief tomboy of the neighborhood,” Mary Ann wrote in her autobiography, “with the reputation of being an extremely active child.” She was happy at St. Agatha School, and when the family moved, she completed her elementary education at Holy Cross School. Regina High School in South Euclid brought new opportunities for developing her interests: she enjoyed acting in plays and playing volleyball. She joined the Mission Club and the Sodality. She became aware of her religious vocation, calling it a choice “to seek out a life of complete dedication to God.” On July 2, 1960, Mary Ann entered the Sisters of Notre Dame as a postulant. At investment she received the name Sister Mary Brigid.
For the next 30 years, Sister Mary Ann’s ministry was in food service. In the large kitchen at Chardon’s provincial center, she joined a team of talented, hard-working sisters who prepared daily meals for several hundred sisters—sometimes as many as 500. Harvest time meant hours devoted to making juice and jelly, and canning fruit. The cooks baked delicious desserts, breads, and cookies for holidays and jubilees.
Sister Mary Ann served in boarding schools at Notre Dame Academy in Chardon and then at NDA in Middleburg, Virginia. Students found a “home away from home” in the kitchen. Sister Mary Ann knew just what was needed: a snack, a listening ear, a word of advice, or a dash of her quick Irish wit! Memories shared by former students show how her love has shaped their lives. “Her willingness to help out however she could made her a standout,” one woman said. “Cooking brought her joy,” said another. “I need to learn from that.” They recall fun times in the kitchen and the dorm, and note the importance that Sister Mary Ann placed on prayer time in her daily schedule.
In 1994, Sister Mary Ann discerned a new ministry. She earned an Associate of Arts degree in Pastoral Ministry from Notre Dame College in South Euclid and certification in the Diocese of Cleveland. She spent the next 11 years as Pastoral Minister at St. Joseph Parish in Amherst. Further studies opened the way to work in Senior Adult Ministry, Bereavement Ministry, and the Ministry of Consolation. She became a certified Spiritual Director through the Ignatian Spirituality Institute at John Carroll University in University Heights. She offered nourishment for the soul in varied ways and in new places. “The joy of being able to be with God’s good people is truly a blessing and a gift to me,” she wrote. She has led retreats for college students, parishes, and the Ignatian 19th Annotation retreat. Presenting programs for churches of other denominations, for staff members at Regina Health Center in Richfield, and being a Spiritual Reflector for the Ignatian Volunteer Corps are just a few of the experiences she eagerly shared over the past 30 years. “It’s been an unusual journey,” she said, “and I’m most grateful to God and to my community.”
Her unexpected death invites us to consider what we will cherish and hold most dear about her. Certainly her deep love for her family and friends. Her love for her Irish heritage, and the St. Patrick’s Day breakfast she always made: orange juice, green eggs, and the Irish soda bread from the family recipe handed down through generations. In community, she coordinated the Prayer Line Ministry. Even more than what she did, we celebrate who she was. One tribute expresses the thoughts of many. “Sr. Mary Ann loved deeply, and always carried herself in a Christ-like fashion. I had the privilege of having her as a spiritual director, friend, and sister. She taught me much about life and my call to love others.”
With smiles and tears, we affirm our faith and our hope that we, too, will share the glory of Resurrection.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 11, 2024, at the Sisters of Notre Dame Center, 13000 Auburn Road, Chardon, OH. It will be live-streamed here. Visitation will be from 9:30 until Mass begins.
